Verbena plant named ‘AKIV572-1’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘AKIV572-1’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright, mounding to trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; light violet-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane; and resistance to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘AKIV572-1’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘AKIV572-1’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Shiga, Japan and Bonsall, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Verbena plants with numerous flowers and resistance to Powdery Mildew.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor on May 20, 2007 in Shiga, Japan of a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number 07V428-01, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary seedling selection of Verbena hybrida identified as ‘Nioimurasaki’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Bonsall, Calif. on Jun. 11, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Bonsall, Calif. since Jun. 12, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘AKIV572-1’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘AKIV572-1’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright, mounding to trailing plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Light violet-colored flowers that are held above and beyond         the foliar plane.     -   6. Resistant to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are not as upright as plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have more flexible stems than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have blue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more upright than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena have larger leaves than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena have larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena hybrida ‘USBENAL8’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,853. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bonsall, Calif., plants of the new Verbena differed primarily from plants of ‘USBENAL8’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more compact than plants of         ‘USBENAL8’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena were more freely branching than         plants of ‘USBENAL8’.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena had narrower leaves than plants of         ‘USBENAL8’.     -   4. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller flowers than plants of         ‘USBENAL8’.     -   5. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘USBENAL8’ differ in flower         color as plants of ‘USBENAL8’ have violet blue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can also be compared to plants of the Verbena hybrida ‘Lan Bule’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,604. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bonsall, Calif., plants of the new Verbena differed primarily from plants of ‘Lan Bule’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena had smaller flowers than plants of         ‘Lan Bule’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘Lan Bule’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘Lan Bule’ had dark blue violet-colored         flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Verbena plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘AKIV572-1’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘AKIV572-1’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring in 15-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Bonsall, Calif. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 32° C., night temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 7,000 to 10,000 foot-candles. Plants were pinched one time and were nine weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida ‘AKIV572-1’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Verbena hybrida identified as code number 07V428-01, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Verbena hybrida identified as ‘Nioimurasaki’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three days at             temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 29° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About four days at             temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 29° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium in density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, semi-upright, mounding to             trailing plant habit; freely branching habit with about six             primary lateral branches developing per plant each with             numerous secondary branches; pinching enhances lateral             branch development; dense and bushy plant habit; vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 10.2 cm.         -   Plant diameter (spread).—About 52 cm by 60 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 38 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.6 cm.         -   Orientation.—Initially upright then outwardly spreading.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 146A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblong to elliptical.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Irregularly crenate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B; venation,             close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 148C.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 147C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform sessile flowers             arranged in compact hemispherical terminal racemes; flowers             face upward or outward; freely flowering habit with about 36             flowers per inflorescence.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             spring through the autumn in California; plants begin             flowering about six weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 3.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.4 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.7 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 2.5 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 2 cm.         -   Tube diameter, proximal.—About 2 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Elongated oblong. Color: Close to 91B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals             fused towards the base into a narrow tube. Petal lobe             length: About 7 mm. Petal lobe width: About 6 mm. Petal lobe             shape: Roughly cordate. Petal lobe apex: Emarginate to             cordate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: Petal,             when opening, upper surface: Close to N88B to N88C. Petal,             when opening, lower surface: Close to N88C. Petal, fully             opened, upper surface: Close to N88C; with development,             color becoming closer to N88D towards the base. Petal, fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 90D; does not fade with             development. Throat: Close to 145D. Tube: Close to 145D.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused sepals fused             towards the base into a narrow tube. Sepal length: About             1.1 cm. Sepal width: About 1 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly             lanceolate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal             texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Sepal texture,             lower surface: Pubescent. Sepal color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7.6 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower, filaments are adnate to corolla tube. Filament             length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to 157D. Anther             shape: Oval, bi-lobed. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther             color: Close to 153A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to N1448. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 1.8 cm. Stigma shape: Rounded, bi-parted.             Stigma color: Close to 144A. Style length: About 1.6 cm.             Style color: Close to 145C. Ovary color: Close to 144A.             Fruits/seed: Fruit and seed development have not been             observed on plants of the new Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 1° C. to about 46° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have been     observed to be tolerant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new Verbena     have not been observed to be resistant to pests and other pathogens     common to Verbena plants. 

1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘AKIV572-1’ as illustrated and described. 